Apparatus for effecting and regulating a flow of fluid



U. 0. HUTTON APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING AND REGULATING A mow 0F FLUID FiledAu' .10, 1925 May 31, i927.

Patented May 31 1927.

UNITED STATES- PATENT, OFFICE.

ULRIC o. BUTTON, OFYMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, 'assreivon TO THE 'GUTLEB-HAM-MEIR MFG. so, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION or WISOON8IN.,

APPARATUS FOR 'EFFECTING. AND REGULATING A'FLOW OF FJIIU'IZDLApplication fi led August 10, 1925. Serial No. 49,857.

This invention relates to apparatus for. being supported. by a metallicscrew or bolt efiecting and regulating a flow of fluid. Moreparticularly, my invention relates to a thermal expansion aspirator orpump.

. In certain fluid testing devices and the like it is necessary tosubstantially continuously extract or supply from a given source aquantity or sample of the fluid to be tested; and one object of myinvention is to 10 provide im roved apparatus for accomplishment 0 suchpurpose.

Another object is to provide simple and eflicient thermally operated andcontrolled means of the character aforementioned.

Another object is to provide an improved pump or aspirator forsupplying'relatively small uantities of fluid.

Anot er object is to provide novel means for utilizing the physicalcharacteristics of thermally expansible fluids.

Another object is .to provide for .reulation of thermally operateddevices 0 the above character.

Other objects and advantages of the'invention will hereinafter appear.

The accompanying drawing illustrates certain embodlments of theinvention which will now be described, it being understood that theembodiments illustrated are susceptible of modification withoutdeparting i a chamber or receptacle 5 of any suitable form adapted to benormally filled with an expansible fluid, such as air or gas, saidchamber having a top or cover 6 sealed or otherwise tightly fitted andsecured thereto.

Cover 6. preferably consists of a plate or block of insulating materialand extending therethrough is a screwthreaded bolt or rod.

7, the outer end of which serves as a bindmg post or terminal; and tothe inner end thereof is secured by'rivets 8 or in any other suitablemanner, a thermostatic element 9 of the bimetallic t e. The free end ofelement 9 is provide with a contact portion 10 which is movable into andout of engagement with a stationary contactll, the latter 12 attac ed tothe cover 6. One end of a heating elementor' resistor 13 is electricallyconnected to the bolt 12, the other end of the former being similarlyconnected to a screwthreaded bolt or rod 14 which extends outwardlythrough cover. 6 to form a second binding post or terminal. Wires 15 and16 may lead to any suitable source, such-as a battery B, for supplying acurrent which is of predetermined value, but which may be varied, ifdesired, by means ofa suitable rheostat R, for a purpose hereinafterdescribed;

Communicating with receptacle 5 at the lower end thereof is a pipe orconduit 17, said pipe being provided at its lower end with long andshort branches-18 and 19, respectively. Branch pipe 18 extends below thelevel of a body of liquid 20, such as mercury, carried by a valvechamber 21. Chamber 21 has a'tight fit with pipe 18, and is alsoprovided above the level of liquid 20 with an outlet opening or passage22, in-

cluding a tubular pro ection or nipple 23.

The short branch pipe 19 has a tight fit. with a valve chamber 24: andopens thereinto above the level of a body of liquid 25, said chamberbeing also provided with an inlet opening or passage 26 including atubular projection 2 and a tubular member 28 extending downwardly belowthe level of liquid 25-. The inlet openingor rojection 27 may beconnected with a suita le source of gas or other fluid which ispreferably at substantially atmospheric pressure, whereas the outletopening or rojection 23- is con-' nected with a testing evice, such asacarbon dioxide or carbon monoxide recorder (not shown), to which asubstantially continuous sample of the fluid is to be supplied.

The receptacle 5 may be provided exteriorly witha plurality of, fins orprojections 29 to accelerate cooling of the contained fluid underconditions hereinafter described.

Operation of the device illustratedin Fig. 1 is'as follows: With theparts 23 and 27 connected as aforedescribed, the heater circuit isclosed by means of a suitable switch S, whereupon the expansible fluidcontained within the receptacle 5 is gradually heated to effectexpansion thereof. The resulting increase in pressure of thefluidefi'ects discharge of a quantity of fluid through the branch pipe18,val've chamber 21 and outlet no charge of a quantity passage22,-mercury valve 20 acting to prevent reverse flow of fluid throughbranch pipe 18. Upon attainment of a given temperature within receptacle5, the thermostatic element 9 is adapted to act in the well known mannerto effect disengagement of contacts 10 and 11, thereby interrupting theenergizing circuit of heater 13. The fluld contained within receptacle 5gradually cools, and the cooling action is accelerated by the radiatingfins orprojections 29 in an obvious manner. Reduction in pressure orcontraction of the fluid due to cooling thereof creates a partial vacuumwithin the receptacle 5, and a quantity of the fluid to be tested isdrawn from the source into. and through the valve chamber 24. When theinterior of receptacle 5 has cooled to a predetermined'temperaturethermostat 9 effects re-engagement of contacts 10 and 11 thereby closingthe circuit of heater 13 to again cause expansion of the contained fluidand disof fluid through outlet passage 22.v The foregoing cycle ofoperation is repeated continuously, thus providin an intermittent intakeof the test fluid an discharge thereof at the desired point. q

By suitably proportioning the heating element 13 and the cooling area ofthe receptacle 5 the pump or asplr'ator may be made to operate at anyoneof a wide range of speeds,such as once a second or as slow as once infive minutes. Similar variations in the rate of operation of the devicemafi be obtained by adjustment of .the rheostat By the arrangementaforedescribed I am able to utilize the pulsating effect of thealternately heated and cooled fluid in a novel manner. If desired thepartia-llyclosed receptacle or container 5 may be initially filled witha quantity of the fluid to be tested; but i this is not necessary,inasmuch as the body of fluid therein acts largely as a piston ordiaphragm to effect passage of the test fluid through the ,one-wayvalves, as. shown; whereas any contamination or dilution of the testfluid with the fluid in the receptacle is practically negligible.

.Inthe modification illustrated in Fig. 2 the numeral 30 designates areceptacle or container having a pipe or conduit leading from the upperend thereof. Said pipe is provided with one or more convolutions orcorrugations 31, 32 below the upper horizontal portion 33 thereof, for apurpose hereinafter described, whereas the other end of said pipe leadsinto a valve chamber 34. Valve chamber 34 is provided with upper andlower inwardly extending annular flanges 35 and 36 forming seats for theball or check valves 3] and-38, respectively. As shown, the flanges 35and 36 are downwardly inclined to act as ides for seating the valves.The ball va ve 37 normally closes the outlet opening 39 of chamber 34,whereas ball 38 normally closes the inlet opening 40 of said chamber.Registering with the inlet opening 40 is a tubular projection or nipple41 for connection with a suitable source of fluid supply; Whereasa'similar nipple 42 provides for connection of the outlet end-of thevalve with a suitable fluid testing device or the like.

Located at a suitable point within the receptacle 30 is. a fluidthermostatic device comprising a container 43 for air or other gaseousfluid, having a conduit or pipe 44 leading therefrom to a fluid pressureoperated valve. Said valve preferably comprises a U-tube 45 having atone side an enlarge portion 46 and'communicating at the other side witha plurality of branch pipes or tubes 47 and 48. 3 Pipe 47 is connectedwith a suitable source of combustible fluid, such as gas; whereas in thefull line position of the body of mercury or other liquid'49, the pipe47 is in direct communication with pipe 48. Pipe 48 in turn leads to asuitable gas burner or heating device 50 located under the chamber 30,said burner having associated therewith a pilot burner or tube 51,connected to pipe 47. The flame 52 of the the supply of gas from pipe 47to burner 50.

pon cessation of the heating. efi'ect of burner 50, the fluid withinreceptacle 30 tends to cool down, and I preferably provide foracceleration of the cooling action by means of a water or other liquidcooling jacket 53 for said receptacle; said 'jacket having inlet andoutletopenings 54 and 55', respectively, to be connected with acontinuous supply of cooling. liquid as desired. During cooling, thefluid within receptacle 30 condenses or contracts, thus creating apartial vacuum which effects opening of inletvalve 38 and withdrawal ofa quantity of fluid from the source, which is preferably atsubstantially atmospheric pressure.v The pipe leading from the upperend' of container 30 is preferably of such lengthv between thehorizontal portion 33 thereof and valve chamber 34 as to accommodate theentire charge of fluid drawn through inlet openin 40. This arangementprevents the fresh 0 arge of fluid from being drawn into chamber 30. 7During the aforementioned cooling operation the fluid within container dso 43, is likewise cooled and the pressure thereof trated; Thecombustible fluid is then again permitted to flow to the burner 50, andthe .h

same is'ignited by the pilot burner 51, in an obvious manner. Thereafterthe fluid in receptacle 3O expands and forces a charge of the test fluidthrough the outlet opening 39 to the desired point-of use. At the same,

' time, the thermally expansible fluid in container 4.3 is again heatedto effect cutting off of the supply of gas to burner as aforedescribed,and the cycle of operation is repeated. 7

As will be apparent the device illustrated in Fig. 2 may also beemployed to pump a liquid, instead of a gas, inasmuch as the arrangementof the intake pipe 31 will prevent passage of'the normal charge of fluidinto the receptacle 30. Moreover, either type of cooling means disclosedmay be employed. with the respective devices illustrated. Instead ofemploying the thermoelectric circuit making and breaking device 9, asshown in Fig. 1, I may employ any other r itable means for this purpose,such as a motor operated contact device or a common form of lightflashing device. Similarly other types of check valvesor oneway valvesmay be substituted for those illustrated in the drawing.

If desired,the rate of heating of the fluid,

and consequently the rate of operation ,of

the device as a whole, may be, changed by adjustment of a suitable'cbntrol valve 56 in the pipe 48, Fig. 2.

What I claim and Letters Patent is: v

1. In a device for effecting a flow of gaseous fluid, the combinationwith a source of such fluid at substantially atmospheric pressure, ofmeans for intermittently withdrawing a predetermined quantity of fluidfrom eration of said inlet valve.

said source and alternately discharging the same at a given point, saidmeans oompris- 7 ing a suction operated inlet valve and a pressure'operated outlet valve, a gaseous, fluid chamber associated with saidvalves, adjustable meansfor heatin said chamber to effect discharge offluid through said outlet valve, thermallyvresponsive means forperiodically interrupting the supply of heat to said chamber, and means,for thereafter 'cooling said chamber tocreate a suction for. op-

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising a receptacle, athermally expan- .,sible gaseous'fluid' normally filling said re-- Idesire to secure by ing a receptacle, a quantity of thermallyexceptacle, adjustable means for intermittently eating said fluid, saidmeans comprising a thermostatic device responsive to glven temperatureconditions of said fluid, and meansfor utilizing the expansion andcontraction of said fluid under the aforementioned conditions to effecta flow of another fluid, said meanscQm rising a plurality of one-wayvalves to be subjected respectively to pressure and suction conditionsin said receptacle.

' 3. A thermal expansion aspirator comprising a receptacle, expansiblegaseous fluid filling said recepta'cle, means for heating said fluid toeffect expansion thereof, thermally responsive means for interruptingthe supply of heat to said fluid to permit cooling thereof, and a sourceof gaseous fluid at substantially atmospheric pressure adapted to besubjected to pressure and suction conditions in said receptacle foreffecting a flow thereof.

4;. A thermal expansion aspirator comprising a receptacle, a quantityofthermallyex pansible gaseous fluid in said rece tacle, electricalmeans for heating said flllld to effect expansion thereof, bimetallicthermostatic insane for interrupting the supply of heat to said fluid topermit cooling thereof, and

a plurality of one-way valves responsive re-' pansible gaseous fluidwithin said receptacle, an electric heating element located within saidreceptacle, means for varying at will thevalue of current supplied tosaid element,

a quantity of thermally a bimetallic thermostatic element also locatedwithin said receptacle and adapted to make and break the energizingcircuit of said heat ing element under given temperature con.- ditionswithin said receptacle, and means for relieving the pressure within saidreceptacle under conditions of alternate heating and cooling of thefluid contained therein, said means comprising a-source of gaseous fluidat substantiallyatmospheric pressure and j a plurality of one waymercury valves for controlling the intake andexhaust of said fluid toand from, said receptacle.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

; ULRIYQ o. HUTTON.

